As I want my T-62 to have the hatches open as if the crew had bailed out the Trumpeter model needed some modification since the commander and drivers hatches are moulded shut as part of the turrent and hull.

As the hatches on the T-55 are the same I used the Revell kit’s hull turrent and hatches as a guide and opened up the T-62.

The silver birch tree in the back garden was the tallest tree in the immediate area and it was quite nice to be able to see when coming home on the train. However, it was also right next to the house so to reduce the risk of roots getting into the foundations or branches damaging the roof it needed to be cut back.

It’s a bit more of a reduction than was planned but it was dictated by the growing points of the tree. The leader has now been taken back down below the level of the rest of the crown so as it regrows it should broaden out rather than head straight upwards again.

The day before it was cut I made a point of climbing it, as a boy I knew all the routes up the tree at the bottom of our garden so I owed it to my younger self to make my way up this one. It was fairly easy and the view from the top was well worth it.

Coming out of Gilsland there is a section of Hadrian’s Wall that was built as “narrow wall” (eight Roman feet wide) on top of “broad wall” (ten Roman feet wide). As the narrow wall is later in date, this indicates that the foundations were built first and the main wall was built afterwards.

Further on there is a milecastle.

The wings of the milecastle that join into the wall are also built as broad wall and are stepped in to meet the inner face of the narrow wall. This indicates that the mile castles were built independently and before the main wall.

Further down there is the remains of a bridge abutment. This was significantly modified twice throughout its life as it was presumably damaged by by the river. To relieve pressure on the structure sluices were put into the wall on the first rebuilding.

As these seemingly didn’t prove sufficient they were widened when it was modified for the second time.